Ohio lawmakers urge EPA to keep Chicago office open

Marion Renault The Columbus Dispatch @MarionRenault
As rumors swirl about its demise, a coalition of lawmakers is imploring the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to preserve its Midwest regional office in Chicago.
In a bipartisan letter released on Tuesday, 37 Democrats and one Republican — Sen. Rob Portman — asked EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt to commit to keeping open the office they say is critical to protecting the health of the Great Lakes.
At the same time, the Chicago office’s acting administrator, Robert Kaplan, has dismissed reports of a potential closure as “pure speculation.”
The EPA’s Region 5 staff — which serves Ohio, Indiana, …